


Just Trying to Make Some Bank

by ThePandaLover



Category: I Love Yoo (Webcomic)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Anxiety Attacks, Awkwardness, Break Up, Confusion, Drinking, Drinking & Talking, F/M, Female Friendship, Financial Issues, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Friendship is Magic, Heart-to-Heart, Heartbreak, Heavy Drinking, Infidelity, Male-Female Friendship, Past Relationship(s), Post-Break Up, Trying to Figure Out Shit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-23
Updated: 2020-09-03
Packaged: 2021-02-18 17:21:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,452
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21530521
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThePandaLover/pseuds/ThePandaLover
Summary: Shin-ae can finally start to move on from her past life. And step 1 is to get a job somewhere other than the Hirahara company. And of course, our boy Yeong-gi has to help out on this day :D! But a certain Q-tip gets in the picture and suddenly everything is thrown out of balance. She feels indebted to her past life, the one she's trying to leave behind, so how can she do this to him? Also will mix in other characters in the ILY because who doesn't need more Soushi??
Relationships: Hirahara "Nol" Yeong-Gi/Yoo Shin-Ae, Hirahara Kousuke/Yoo Shin-ae
Comments: 3
Kudos: 61





	1. The Start of a New Hecking Day

**Author's Note:**

> Here our girl gets (how she sees it) a rocky start to her day, but Yeong-gi here is going to try and help her out!

#  A New Day 

I wake up to the sound of my phone pinging several times. _Damn it,I forgot to lower the volume last night._ Groaning,I slowly reach over to my nightstand to pick up my phone. _Who could it be at this hour?_ My eyes can barely make out 3 new notifications. _Text from Rika,reminder about food festival....Oh f*** I forgot it was today!_ My eyes shoot wide open as I went into a mode I thought was only possible when school was about to start in 5 minutes and I was still at home. _F****! Wheres the shampoo! Did I buy eggs yesterday? My lord,WHERE ARE MY CLOTHES!!_ While I was having a meltdown in the shower,I heard a knock at the door. _Oh lord,what debt did I forget to pay THIS time._ I stomped all the way to the door in my bath towel,because f**** it at this point how much more money could they take? _Who is it this time! It's barely 6 in the morning!_ ...I regret not looking through the peephole first...

Of all the people in the world who would show up at my door,of _course_ it would be him. He was mid-knock when I opened the door and _instantly_ his face went red; almost as red as his hair. He tried to cover his eyes,which almost made him drop the the bags of food in his hands.Meanwhile my brain took a minute to process who was in front of me.I could tell he was slightly sweaty from going up the stairs,especially with the bags of food in his hand.It looked as if he had tried to style his orange hair,but in the end went against it anyway.And his hands... _Erm..Shin ae?You might want to cover up.._ And that was how I came crashing back into reality. I slammed the door shut.

_"OH MY GOSH,WHY DIDN'T YOU KNOCK FIRST?!!" I yelled._.

_"I DID,I DID! I THOUGHT YOU WOULD COME OUT IN YOU KNOW CLOTHES!" He yells from the other side of the door._.

_" Gah! Just wait a second!"_ I yell as I practically run to my room to change. 

Breathless,I swing the door open as soon as I finish changing. _"Why are you here? It's 6 in the freaking morning!"_.

_"Good morning to you too."_ he says with a smile. 

_"Yeong-gi! I thought we set boundaries for this type of thing! You can't just show up unannounced! I didn't even get a chance to clean up the place,or buy some snacks or -"_

_"See this is why I came in the first place.I knew you'd freak out today since you have that job interview later.I just thought I would help out by bringing you some breakfast. So just calm down,okay Shinae? Take some deep breaths."_ he says with that concerned look in his eye. _Damn_.

_" Alright.."_ I started taking deep breaths to just clear my head. 

_"Good, you're doing great. Now, er could I come in? I just wanna reheat these pancakes before I go, they've gotten kind of cold."_

_" Yeah Yeah! Sure totally! "_ I gasped looking for some way to break the awkward tension. _F****,did I just say totally?_

_"Okay then."_ he silently walked through the door and headed for the kitchen. _Do you prefer chocolate pancakes or blueberry?_ he yelled from the kitchen.

_"Chocolate’s fine!" I replied, slinking down against the door._ Oh my gosh, he really just saw more of me than any other dude has in my freaking LIFE. I had never cringed more deeply in my life. Eventually, I got the courage to walk into the kitchen again. 

_" Sooo, hows your morning so far?" he nonchalantly said as he sipped his WacDonald's hot chocolate._

_"You mean besides the fact I practically flashed you,when you were just trying to hand me some oj." I say saracastically._

He turns bright red. _"Yeah besides that..."_


	2. Long Way to Go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our boy Yeong-gi drops off Shin-ae at her job interview and makes an unexpected move. But after watching Shin-ae's memories of them, is it really unexpected?

I looked at him from the corner of my eye. Yup, still just focused on the road. There was an awkward silence between us, probably because he tried to joke around with the… incident. Spoiler alert, it wasn’t funny. I responded by slamming the car door in his face, which was reasonable. Actually now that I think about it I did threaten to break his-

“Shine-ae? Shin-aee, hello anyone there? Been staring at me for quite a while now, and I’m kinda trying to drive,” Yeonggi tried to laugh off awkwardly.

Oh, shi-

“UHH, you know just some intense lint staring right now! Yup, it’s totally...linty??” I answered awkwardly. Oh my god what is wrong with me, did I just say linty?!!

“Nice to know, guess I should head over to the dry cleaners soon,” he nonchalantly answered.

“ Yeah, you should..” I replied calmly. I’m dying inside. Maybe he won’t notice if I just bury myself into my sweater??

“UGHHHH” I groaned.

“Hey Shin-ae, this morning wasn’t really THAT bad -”

“UGHH HOW? I am literally ready to jump out of this car. Which is saying a lot considering I have a job interview after this.”

“...Yeah but...at least the chicken tasted good?” he awkwardly reassured, while navigating the intersection.

“ What do you mean just good? That chicken was BOMB! Don’t you diss my precious chicken in front of me,” I replied, obviously offended.

“ There’s the Shin-ae I know! Keep your fighting face on!” he excitedly said.

“Yeah, you’re right! Lookout Lee Enterprises! Here comes Shin-ae Yoo!! And I will amaze your fancy pants administrators any day!” I exclaimed while pumping my hands in the air.

“YEAH, YOU WILL!!” Yeong-gi yelled while turning on his playlist. Don’t Stop Me Now by Queen started blasting through the speakers.

I couldn’t hold in my laughter. “ Oh my god, seriously Queen?” I chuckled while throwing back my head.

“ Yup my go-to song on days like this!” he laughed while turning up the volume.

“Oh my god stop, other people are going to hear!” I snorted while trying to roll up the windows.

He looked at me sideways with his goofy smile, then said, “ S’ that's so bad? Let their ears be blessed Shin-ae the smol!”

“Oh yeah? Call me smol one more time and we’ll see if you’re feeling so blessed anytime soon,” I retorted back. Maybe THAT will shut him up.

“Oh yeah?” he smirked at me, starting to parallel park. Oh no, I know that smile.

“ I might just take you up on that…” he breathed while leaning in, staring up at me.

Oh

My

God

“HEY! HEY, YOU TWO! EITHER PARK RIGHT OR GO HOME! Stupid kids, they give licenses to anyone these days..” the parking attendant rumbled.

Well, that kinda ruined the moment. Yeong-gi instantly sat up, tomato faced and finished parking.

“Sorry, sir! I’ll make sure to finish the job next time!” Yeong-gi yelled out the window.

What’s wrong with me? I can’t even bring myself to look him in the eyes again. Just look forward and don’t turn around. Just a few more seconds.

“OKAY THANKS FOR THE RIDE BYE,” I automatically said. Stiffly, I got out of the car and headed towards the building.

“Um, okay good luck!” he yelled out awkwardly, waving goodbye.

I didn’t turn around. Well, that’s a lie, I did turn around once. His head was in his hands, probably regretting it earlier. I really did want to reach out to comfort him, but I’m sorry Yeong-gi. It has to be this way, for the better. After what happened last time, I can’t risk it. And with that in mind, I turned around and didn’t look back.

…..

He used to organize these dorky picnics at the beach. I couldn’t help but smile a little at this memory.

“Hello? Miss? The question?” the interviewer impatiently asked in front of me.

“Oh yes! The question! I have 4 years of experience with Hirahara Corp., which has taught me to prioritize, multitask, communication skills, and technical competency.”

“Great! Check that off… Anyway, a quick rundown on what Lee Enterprises stands for. Our founder Min-jun Lee created Lee Enterprises to ….” the interviewer droned on.

I zoned out pretty quickly. Just one more year, you can do this Shin-ae. No offense to office life, but it isn’t for me. Just one more year left in my nursing program, so I could finally get a full-time job doing something I love. I don’t want to work in a nursing home like Papa, I want to work in a children’s hospital! Being surrounded by life and helping people is exactly where I’d like to work. Heh, I remember when I first told Yeong-gi, he was so proud. He pumped his fists in the air in the way only he could.

“ I’m going to be a pediatric nurse Yeong-gi!” I squealed.

“ Oh my god, Shin-ae I’m so proud of you! I knew you were gonna figure it out!” Yeong-gi excitedly said.

He scooped me up in a bear hug, practically squeezing me to death, and said, “ I’m so psyched for you Shin-ae! You’re gonna save lives!”

“Ack.Can’t.Breathe.” I managed to gasp out.

“ Oops sorry about that! Got carried away for a sec. My best friend’s going to save lives, didya hear?” he excitedly said as he put me down. His arms were still hugging me, not as tight though.

“ Yes, I know because she’s standing right here! And I’m going to be a nurse, not a doctor, so get your facts straight. But you’re right, I’ll still be a part of the process!!” I beamed up at him. He was still holding me up in his arms to maintain eye contact, but I didn’t care. This was too good of a moment to ruin.

“ I just can’t believe it. You’ve come so far,” he said softly, with tears in his eyes.

Oh god, why’d he have to start crying, he’s going to make me cry too.

“ Oh you big softie! Stop it you’re gonna make me cry too,” I smiled as I dug my head into his sweater. Wasn’t going to let him see my face go all red. Like hell that was going to happen.

He chuckled at this, and gently put his hand on-top of my head. “ There, now. Wouldn’t want you to become a sniveling mess like me would you?” he laughed.

“Hey I was having a moment! I don’t exactly cry every time we find a lost kitten or something like you do!” I exclaimed, while pushing away his hands. Didn’t want him to see my eyes sweating.

“ Hey I’ll let you know that there was a lot of pollen when we went for the so-called run! So when we found Mr. Fluffers, I was already pretty teary-eyed. Besides, weren't you the one who busted out all the kitten essentials?” he teased, while still looking down at me.

“And weren’t you the one cradling him?” I laughed back at him.

He only grinned at this, face all red just like his hair. From the crying or laughing I don’t know, but I suppose the same could be said about me. And we just stood there. All red-eyed and smiling with not a care in the world. I was literally floating since he was still holding me up. And him? Oh his goofy smile could keep me going for days. Of course I wasn’t going to tell him that though. But I think he could tell. I hope. What I didn’t know was that someone was watching us that day. We were at the benches nearby the Hirahara Corp. building. It could’ve been anyone that passed by. But of course it had to be the blue eyed q-tip.

It’s always about him, isn’t it?


	3. It's You Again!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shin-ae's in a good mood today! If she could just forget that morning, nothing could go wrong! Except she runs into 2 familiar faces today. And with one of them - they did not end well.

There was a certain magic feeling in the air. Yes, I’ll admit my morning was rough, but the interview went surprisingly well! I had an extra pep in my step walking out of the building. I hummed Happy by Pharrel Williams under my breath walking out, with my head held high. Everything was alright in the world.

Cause I’m happy, clap along..

“Shin-ae?”

Oh no. Him.

“Shin-ae, I know you heard me,” he curtly said.

I abruptly stopped. Gah, just when I was actually enjoying my morning. I slowly turned around to meet those familiar eyes.

“ Hello Kousuke,” I politely said, maintaining eye contact.

“ Shin-ae, I know we haven’t spoken in a while, but why did you just come out of that building? Are you short on cash? Do you need another job? Your job at Hirahara Corp. still exists and pays well, so I simply don’t understand wh -”

“ Kousuke calm down, I’m fine. You actually weren’t supposed to find out this way.”

“ But why were you exiting Lee Enterprises headquarters?”

Crap, I might as well just tell him now. “ I was actually job hunting right now if you must know. They had an open position, so I went for an interview.”

“ An interview? Shin-ae I know we aren’t exactly on best terms but..,” he said, looking appalled. I couldn’t help it anymore, I just had to cut him off.

“ Look Kousuke, this has nothing to do with you at all! This has to do with the fact that I’ve only ever worked at 2 places before in my life! Wacdonald’s and Hirahara Corp. And it doesn’t exactly help that I’m so personally … involved with the CFO and his brother! Plus there’s also the fact that people still talk about … us. I just - I need to get away from all that,” I gasped out. He looked a bit astonished from my outburst. But I mean after all these years, what did he expect?

After a short silence between the two of us, he stoically answered , “Did the interview go all right? Please excuse me if I overstepped any personal boundaries. I’m just a ‘heartless, stone cold maniac’ as you so gently put it before. I’m not allowed to show any emotion at all, correct?”

“ Maybe I should’ve added jerk to the list as well!” I growled as I aruptly stormed off.

“ Well at least a ‘jerk’ is still allowed to showcase some feelings whatsoever!” he barked in retaliation.

“ Oh and before I go! I did GREAT in my interview! I was a freakin 'rockstar!!” I yelled across the plaza.

“ Well that’s just super! Maybe I should just put up some Now Hiring signs for your position? That way we’ll be able to go our own separate ways!”

“ Fine!”

“ Fine!”

And we both in our classic fashion, stormed off like children. Maybe I should’ve controlled my temper better. I bite my lip, wondering if I should go back and apologize. But for what? Stand your ground Shin-ae! You’ve both made your stances perfectly clear! He’s made his choice and so have you. Frustrated I shake my head clear and head straight for the bus stop. My head’s still a bit cloudy and unknowingly I start to reminisce.

....

The salty breeze was chilling to the bone. I couldn’t tell though. With his arm and coat around me, I was warm to the touch. It was perfect, blissful even. With him, I didn’t have to say anything, we could simply exist together.

I love it.

Almost as much as I love him. Who knew this would happen? His grand entrance into my life wasn’t exactly graceful. Heck, time and time again we frequently clashed. But we always made our way back to each other. I hope we don’t forget that.

“ Shin-ae? Is something worrying you? You’re a bit stiffer than usual,” he asked, concerned. His icy blue eyes seemed to soften, only with me in mind.

“ Yeah, I’m okay. Don’t worry Kousuke, just think about things,” I softly replied.

“ Very well then…” he answered.

Ha, it was pretty obvious he wanted to know. At least he’s making the effort to not show it. I’ll give him that at least.

“Pfft, Kousuke like I said don’t worry,”

He immediately turned red.

“ I-i! When did I say I was worried? Only … mildly concerned at best!”

“Kousuke…”

“Fine! It’s just, what you said got me overthinking again! And now that I think about it, your statement IS what marks most downfalls in relationships! But I don’t want th -”

“Kousuke! Calm down!” I said, as I cut him off. I wrapped my arms around him to calm his paranoia.

“Just Breathe… I’m not going anywhere,” I softly whispered against his shirt.

I held onto him tighter and tried to breathe at the same pace as him. He had always been a bit paranoid, even when we first met. And that calculating psycho bi*** of a mother didn’t exactly help his case either. In a power-hungry family like that, no wonder he had a few panic attacks from time to time. The only thing I can do for him is here, no matter what. Which I always plan to do.

“.. Thank you,” he softly said once he calmed down.

“ No problem, like I said. I’ll always be here, I’m not going anywhere,”

“ Thank you,” he whispered into my hair. He planted a small kiss onto my forehead before resting his head on top of mine.

“ Also now that you mention it. I was thinking about how I threw a steak at you after you called me a fat ass when we first met,”

“Sh-shin ae! That was before! I would never call you such vulgar atrocities now!”

“ Pfft, I know I’m just messing with you. Besides that reminds me, how do you feel about steak for dinner?” I laughed.

“ Very well then. And yes, I would love steak for dinner. A new restaurant has just opened which conjoints a bakery not too far from here. Jayce can get us a reservation in 20 minutes,” he said as the blush slowly faded from his face.

“ Then it’s a date!”

In response he only pulled me closer, and whispered, “ Indeed it is”

…

How dare he just barge in on my perfectly good morning and. Goddamn. Ruin. it.

UGHH!!!

My fists were already clenched as tightly as humanly possible when I slumped into my bus seat. I rummaged into my bag until I found the mother of all that is holy - beef jerky!

Munch munch… I can already feel myself relaxing. Thank god for vending machines am I right? Okay Shin-ae just breathe… in … out … in ..out

I turned on my phone and went through my social media feed. Gotta see if my favorite food blogger posted! This week was italian food right?

Ding!

Oh hey look, it’s the girls!

~~~~

“Shin-ae guess who got us tickets to see the Loud Place Part II??”

“ The Loud Place..? I don’t know Rika, horror isn’t exactly up my alley…”

“ C’mon Shin-ae! I bet we can sneak some of my mom’s pastries!”

“ Hmmm…”

“AND we’ll pay for your snacks!”

“Good thinking Maya!”

“Alright I’m in, BUT you should know my favorite flavour is chocolate >:)”

“Fine, fine one order of chocolate chip cookies coming up!”

“And brownies?”

“Yes and brownies as if I could forget”

“Hey Shin-ae the movie’s on at 7 okay? BE THERE”

“OR I’LL EAT YOUR SNACKS”

“ :0 DON’T YOU DARE!! And yes I’ll be there at 7 SHARP”

“Mkay cya then!”

“ Byeee”

….

Hssss

The doors slammed behind me as I stepped onto the pavement. I took a deep breath as I looked around. Yup, won’t be seeing this place as much anymore. Just one more semester and I’m god damn FREE! I will still miss the campus though. You can’t beat the 24/7 smell of brewing coffee for anything. Maybe I’ll get a cup. I started making my way towards May’s Coffee - a true lifesaver with 24/7 availability and discounts for us broke students. I practically lived here my first few years.

“ Shin - ae?”

That voice… There’s only one voice I know as soothing yet mature as his. Could it be..?

“ Shin-ae, it’s me Dieter,” he sheepishly said, while sticking his hands into his pockets.

“ It’s been a while,”

“Oh my gosh, it’s been so long! How’ve you been!” I exclaim with notes of surprise in my voice. Instinctively I reach out for a hug and almost immediately he wraps his arms around me. Like one big old bear hug. I’ve missed this, him! How long has it been since I’ve had one of his bear hugs? 4 months? 5?

“ Germany has been good so far! My grandparents are thrilled of course to have me and my sister back. And I have to admit I had been missing the curry-wurst,” he laughed sheepishly as we parted.

“ That’s great that you’re settling back into Germany! We’ve missed you over here though, so it’s great to have you back!” I say while putting my hands into my pockets.

“ I’ve missed you guys too! I even brought some German treats to share! Later do you want to meet up with the guys? To catch up?” Dieter asked with pleading eyes.

“ Of course except I have some plans later…” “ Oh that’s okay, wouldn’t want to push you,” he said while looking down at his shoes. Ack can I really do this to him? I’m not supposed to be there till 7 so I have time… I think?

“ Actually now that I think about it, I can make it! As long as it’s before 7, I have to meet up with Maya and Rika,”

“ That’s great! Let’s meet up here at 6 then!” he said excitedly. His phone pinged suddenly and he gasped.

“ Oh no I’m late! I told my sister I’d be there by now, she’s going to kill me!”

“ Oh crap go then! See you later!” I say shooing him away.

“ Alright bye Shin-ae!” he waves as he quickly turns and runs towards the bus stop.

“... Bye then,” I say a bit wistfully mid wave. There was still a few things I wanted to say before he left, but oh well. A few things have been left unsaid between us, especially after the breakup. We’ve stayed friends of course, but we’ve left some wrinkles… unironed.

And we need to clear them up. Now.


	4. Rainy Nights

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shin-ae decided to take Dieter up on his offer, so why's she so nervous?? Things start off all right until things take a turn for the worst...

All my friends ask me why I stay so strong.

I used to laugh dryly at this, and brush it off. Of course they would ask. After I had shut them out for so long, they were shocked at how much I had locked in. They thought I was the strong one, but they had no idea. The strongest one walks among us. With a bright smile in his eyes.

. . . . .

I stood nervously in front of the cafe. My jacket was bunched up in my fist as I nervously paced. Just a few minutes more Shin-ae, you can do this! Take deep breaths now. I’ve had a lot of practice calming down. Have I used it on myself often? No, a certain someone else needed me more. But those days are over, for a good reason too. I need to focus on myself! These days star Shin-ae Yoo not some stupid boy. I’ll admit the guys in my life ARE a bit attractive (I’m not blind!) but right now Shin-ae comes first.

So why am I so nervous to go in??!

Ughh! I silently pound my fist against the cafe’s rocky exterior, almost knocking over a potted plant. I can feel eyes on me, leaving ugly trails wherever they land. Things never do change they? Sometimes it feels as if I’ll never escape their harsh stares.

“Breathe Shin-ae, just breathe…” a distant memory calls.

He’s right, just take a minute. Focus on that day, the feeling of his arms around me.

“ You’re safe, I’m here,” the memory continued

I’m safe, I’m safe I repeated to myself. Except he wasn’t here.

. . . .

“ Hey guys!”

“ Shin-ae!” two voices perked up. Immediately they both raised their heads as they waved me over to the table.

“ How was class?” Dieter asked thoughtfully as I took my seat. They had already ordered so the food was piping hot!

“ Dieter! You’ve been gone for what? 6 months and the first thing you ask about is her classes?!” Soushi said in an almost accusatory tone.

“ W-well classes are very important! And she did just come from them!”

“ Dude! I don’t know about you but 5 minutes out of the classroom and I’ve already wiped my mind clean,”

“ And that is why you’re not in nursing school like me. Or in vet school like Dieter. Also it’s very sweet of him to ask about my classes! So to answer his question, class was great. I mean kind of boring, but good overall,”

“ Wow nice to see you haven’t changed. I can practically feel your gooiness for Dieter still seeping over,” Soushi saracastically said.

“ I - we’re just friends!!” Dieter, now all shades of red, exclaimed. I could feel him sinking deeper into his oversized sweater.

“ That doesn’t mean Shin-ae wasn’t gooey with you to begin with. Because just like you said, you’re just friends,” Soushi said as he sipped his cappucino.

“Smooth, real smooth Soushi,” I shot back.

“ I try,”

“ Well next time I’ll make sure to be extra gooey with you. That drink’s just begging to be splashed on someone,”

“ Oh hoho, wanna bet?”

“ All set over here,”

“ Guys, guys! Lets just calm down and eat! I brought some Lebkuchen with me as well!” Dieter said.

Immediately all the fire left Soushi’s eyes. “You mean those German cookies that the German store always seems to run out of?!”

“ Yes I brought enough for all of us,” Dieter said calmly.

“ Oh my god they’re one of my favorites!!” Soushi exclaimed before scarfing 5 down.

“ Hey leave some for me too!”

“ Here I brought a box for you too,” Dieter smiled. It seemed as if he was almost glowing in the cafe’s light.

“ Thanks. I actually have something for you too. It’s a bit rushed since I did get it from the shop next door, but I couldn’t come in empty handed!” I stammered as I handed a small bag to him. Hopefully he likes it.

As he opens it, his face lights up. He pulls the bear themed hoodie out of the bag. Pieces of the confetti I had hastily opened were still stuck to it, along with some of the tissue paper. But that didn’t wipe the grin off his face.

“ T-thank you Shin-ae! I wasn’t expecting anything honestly, so thank you! I’ll be sure to wear it often!” Dieter said gratefully.

“ No problem! You may have been gone for a long time, but I still remember your thing with bears!”

He turned beet red at this. It’s never directly said, but everyone knows Dieter has a thing with bears.

“Thanks Shin-ae. I’m truly grateful,”

“ Hey where’s my present then?” Soushi asked, teasingly.

“ You live half an hour from my place! Seeing me is enough of a present as it is!”

“ True, true. But I was thinking a present as in food? Like my man Dieter, you could learn a lot from him.” Soushi said, while patting confused Dieter’s back.

“ You want food? Here I got something in my bag,” I replied before swiftly sticking a lollipop into Soushi’s mouth.

“Satisfied?”

“Yes very,” Soushi said in a dead serious tone, before quickly erupting in laughter along with me. What was I so nervous about? Everything’s going great, I haven’t had this much fun in a while! The bell attached to the small cafe door jingled, as if answering my question.

“ Hey guys, hoped I haven’t missed much!” Yeong-gi said as he practically barged into the quiet cafe. I hadn’t noticed it, but there was a storm outside and it was raging. Yeong-gi came in soaked, with his jacket practically plastered to his shirt. The few people’s eyes in the cafe practically bulged at him. I could see why.

He looked hot. Soaked to the t-shirt, you could practically see his 6 pack. Damn even I was getting a little hot over here. Except then he tripped over his own foot trying to close his stubborn umbrella.

“OOF,” Yeong-gi grunted as he fell over on the floor. Gee way to make an enterance Yeong-gi.

“ Oh god, mate you okay?” Soushi asked as we all ran over.

Yeong-gi winced in pain before saying, “ Yup just another tumble. You guys didn’t have to all run over though,” He then put his arm over his face, blocking out the light.

“ You did almost spill your brains out over the carpet, but sure,” I said sarcastically.

Yeong-gi smiled under his arm. “So Shin-ae already made it huh?” he said.

“ Yup and the star of the hour, Dieter!” Soushi dramatically said before doing jazz hands for DIeter’s entrance.

“ Dieter!” Yeong-gi exclaimed before jumping back to his feet.

“ … Hi Yeong-gi,” Dieter shyly said before Yeong-gi enveloped him in a big bro hug.

“ Good to have you back buddy,” Yeong-gi said before going through their secret hand shake. It took 5 minutes for the whole thing.

I bit back a laugh, I could see the freshmans’ hearts fall as they expected a tall, broody mystery man. But they kept watching because those muscles were so damn MESMERIZING. I looked up at the clock, I still had some time.

“ Guys the food’s getting cold!”

“ Oh crap lets go eat then,” Yeong-gi said as he practically herded us to the table.

…. The evening was a blast. It’s been so long since I’ve spent time like this with the boys. Someone broke out the vodka and of course we got drunk. There were different levels though of course. Soushi was slurring, I was tipsy, Yeong-gi broke out the Irish accent, and Dieter was straight up WASTED. The cafe owner came by the table but Yeong-gi somehow sweet talked her into letting us stay, so yay?

Ring …rinng... ringg

Oh crap the girls.

“Hheeyy… Rika,” I hiccuped.

“ Are you drunk?” she questioned.

“Mmmaybe..”

“ You do know you’re really late,”

“ Ohh CRAP, don’t worry I’m oN My wAy rIkA…”

“No, no! Stay there, you’ll probably run over a dog or something and I do NOT need that on my conscious! Is anyone else there with you?”

“ Yup!! The boysss of course… Also Soushi says he’s reeaaalllyy sorry about last week and that you should totally return his calls. He didn’t mean to send the singing mariachi to your boss’s office!”

“ What the - he told you?! Grr tell him he needs to try harder than that! Stealing my friend and getting her drunk is NOT helping his case,”

“ That’s cause Dieter came back today!”

“ Oh wow Dieter came back? No wonder, tell him I said hi! Is Dieter or Soushi sober?”

“ Nopeee Dieter’s wasted as fuuu”

“ Okay I get the message. Anyone else there?”

“ Yeong-gi’s here too! Say hi!!” “Hiiii,” Yeong-gi said in the background.

“ Oh god, listen I’m going to be out till around 10ish? If you need a ride call me or get a Wuber okay?”

“ Aye aye captain!” I said.

“Don’t dress up as anything this time okay? And you’re still not off the hook for today!”

“Aye, aye…”

“ Bye then,” Rika said as she hung up.

Ugghh, I rested my head on my arms. Let me just bury myself and wallow in my sweatshirtedness. I turned my head and I saw Dieter in a permanent state of redness showing pictures of German ducks to an extremely captivated Soushi. Crap, we were supposed to talk today. That means I’m stuck with … Yeong-gi. I guess he knew this too since he was already positioning himself towards me.

“ Sooo… you’re pretty red. Not as much as Dieter but still,”

Crap blame it on the alcohol. “ Yup I’m fun size,”

“ Niceee, so am I! Fun-sized!” he hiccuped. Suprisingly he managed to keep some composure, however the hiccups sell him out.

I laughed at this. Even when he’s probably heading towards a stupor he can still make me laugh. Why does he make this so hard?

“ Heyyy you’re not THAT fun,” I pouted as I drank some more.

“Woahh there cowgirl… That’s enOUGH for you today,” Yeong-gi said

“ See that’s my proof! Who gave you the right to stop me!?”

“ You’re barely going to be able to walk at this rate… We said were going to be just a LITTLE bit tipsy, but SOMEONE broke out the whole bottle,” Yeong-gi said as he glared at Soushi.

“ Dieter needed some more excitement on his first day back mAtE,” Soushi retaliated.

“ Point is we’re screweddd… There’s a storm outside so I don’t know if a Wuber would get here in time,” Yeong-gi said as he gestured to the irratated cafe owner. The next few minutes were a blur, but we did get a Wuber after the owner very explicitly told us to. We did leave a very generous tip however.

But that didn’t matter anymore, since there was a huge accident on the highway connected to the university so we were stuck here for a few hours at the least. :*)

…..

Stirring my now cold coffee I didn’t know what time it was. The rain was letting up now, it was just raining now with no thunder. Soushi had dragged Dieter to the bathroom a few minutes ago, guess he can’t handle alcohol that well. But I mean who am I to judge? The blush was just NOW fading a bit. I looked up and saw Yeong-gi’s worried eyes.

“ I-i didn’t really plan on talking about this but I’m sorry about before, earlier this morning. I’m sorry if I pushed our boundaries,” he quietly apologized. I immedately turned red remembering the very embarassing morning. And our almost -

“ Yeah, yeah don’t worry about it,” I sheepishly replied.

“ Yeah, but how about you? Do you … regret it?”

“Wha- regret what?”

“ Our almost kiss. Do you regret it?”

I became a tomato at that moment. Crap he’s good, I have to get out of here before I blow it. “ I… uh I need some air right now,” I blatantly said as I stormed outside.

“ Shin-ae wait! My question!” Yeong-gi exclaimed as he stubbornly followed me. Please give it a break, I’m trying to protect you. I pulled the sweaters around me tighter as I braved the outdoors. I just need to get away.

“ Shin-ae my -”

“ NO OKAY?! I DON’T REGRET IT! I ACTUALLY KINDA WISH IT DID HAPPEN! HAPPY?” I exploded at him. Any drink inside me was gone, everything was crystal clear at the moment. I had to leave. Yeong-gi was taken aback by my statement. Even in the pouring rain, he still managed to look hot HOW?! His face was obviously very confused, it kept changing, his face a sea of emotions. I want this moment to be a happy one really, but there’s a reason I’ve been holding back. One he knows. He opens his mouth to speak when I cut him off.

“Yeong-gi I can’t! I can’t with you okay? I want to, I really do but how can I do that to him? To Kousuke?”

His face immediately darkens once Kousuke’s name has left my mouth. Now his face was covered in pain, confusion, and plain old rage. His brother managed to ruin this too. I want to say more, I want to do so much more. Ideally I would take it back, all back. I’d wrap my arms around him, kiss him back the way we’ve been wanting to for months and never look back. But this was why I was so nervous on coming here, I could never do that. Not after Kousuke was ready to leave it all. Even when he was facing backlash for choosing of all girls, ME he still stood by me. He still loved me. But he was right, I was falling for Yeong-gi. He sensed it, but I lied to myself saying he was just paranoid.

How pathetic of me. Using one of his most vulnerable spots as my excuse? I was a sorry excuse for a human being. In the end, to save his dignity I broke up with him. I distanced myself from Yeong-gi in an attempt to save our friendship. But Yeong-gi wasn’t dense, he knew we had chemistry. And that’s why I have to go.

I didn’t go to him and save our relationship in a fairytale like way. I didn’t run up to him and apologize for the past few months. I didn’t tell him I loved him.

I ran. 


	5. Hope You Drown! :D

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ! MENTIONS: Alcohol, getting drunk, and a lot of swear words (our protagonist has a potty mouth ;-;)!  
> We see Shin-ae try to conquer a new day after the total meltdown with Yeong-gi. Yup, what could go wrong?

Ring … ring … ring

The alarm rang dull in my ears. Sluggishly I slung my arm over to turn it off. Another perfect day I suppose. I stared up at the ceiling blankly, trying to remember last night. All of a sudden Yeong-gi’s voice echoed in my head.

Shin-ae wait! My question!

Oh right, I groaned as I threw my arm over my face, trying to block out his voice. It just kept coming though. Not just his voice though, but now the vivid images seemed to dance in my head. It happened so fast. I thought I could slip out easily, how stupid of me! I should have met up with Maya and Rika when I had the chance. Rika!!!

My eyes sprang open as I aruptly sat up. I snatched my phone from my night stand and scrolled through the notfications. Crap, 20 unread messages and 7 missed calls. No one told me today was going to be a horror movie.

…….

After apologizing profusely to Rika a million times, I finally headed out for some breakfast. God, I’m starving. This hangover doesn’t help either. My feet pounded the still damp pavement in search of food.

HONK HONK!!

Oh SHI -

I narrowly dodged the semitruck as it screeched out of my way. Ack! I fell backwards on my butt as I stared in disbelief. OW! I held my head as I winced from the honking. My still sensitive head managed to catch the whispers behind me. I looked back and a small crowd had gathered. Some even had their phones out, recording the whole thing. Good grief, I just want to get some donuts.

As soon as I had turned around, people got back to their senses and swarmed around me. A few hands helped me up, and words of concern were tossed back and forth.

“ Are you SURE you’re okay sweetie??”

“ Yes I’m fine ma’am! Please don’t worry about it,” I reassured a group of elderly ladies for what seemed to be the thousandth time.

Eventually the momentum died down, and I managed to leave in one piece. Finally I can get some god damn FOOD!! I practically ran into the bakery. Maybe I can even get some - !! I looked up at the clock in almost disbelief as a very audible gasp left my mouth.

CRAP I’M LATE!!

I raced through the sidewalk, knocking over various people. “Ack I’m so sorry!!” I yelled back repeatedly. I probably look like an honest to god mess. Hair flying everywhere, work blouse not all the way buttoned up, and my suitcase was spilling papers. But I can’t afford to give Kousuke the chance to fire me! Resigning looks way better on paper than termination. And besides I literally could not afford to be fired. How else am I going to get my chicken wings fix?

…..

HOLY SH*T I MADE IT

I practically collapsed on the sidewalk. I put my hands on my knees while looking up at the big Hirahara Corp. sign. Man, my days are really numbered here - I never did fit in, even now. I look so out of place compared to my poised and composed coworkers. My ponytail was almost no existant and my shirt looked unruly. Plus there was the fact that I practically ran a marathon just to get here. Suddenly my suitcase gave out and my files spilled everywhere. Damn it!

My legs practically gave out while I was picking up the mess. At this point, I could give a shi* about the crowd, they just seem to follow me anyway. I was going to solve this Shin-ae’s way -

“ Get up,”

I froze on the spot. Did he just -

“ Get up and compose yourself Miss Yoo,”

I slowly stood up, dusting off my skirt. I didn’t need to turn around to see his eyes bore into mines. It was pretty much a given. But what wasn’t was his reaction - in one elegant swoop he gathered up all my papers in a bunch. He swiftly turned around and in an almost murderous voice said, “ Come with me,”

I gulped and followed him as instructed. Wordlessly we both walked into the building.

“ Hold your head up! And stop trying to fit your hands in your pockets, you don’t have any!” he sniped at me as soon as we had entered an empty hallway.

He walked me all the way to my cubicle where he, in an ungentlemanly like fashion, dropped the papers on top of my already very messy desk. Cups of pencils, paper clips, and knick knacks went flying as he silently cursed and began picking them up. A few of my cubicle neighbors began peeking through the slits because it’s not everyday you see the CFO on all fours! It’s so awkward though, what should I do? Say thank you?? Even after our screaming match yesterday, would he still want me to say anything? Maybe I -

“ Miss Yoo, you need to compose yourself better in the workplace. What you do reflects on all of us here at Hirahara Corp.”

Oh shi* so we’re going for the professional approach, alright. “ I completely understand it will never happen ag -”

“ Especially when we have certain visitors today. Because I know for a fact you didn’t forget that all the major shareholders are meeting today, correct?”

Oh sh -

“ Correct! Of course I didn’t forget,”

He sees right through me. Its obvious with the way he’s pursing his lips just so. But he can also hear the quiet giggles of eavesdroppers, so he quickly turns around. It’s for the better I suppose, we wouldn’t want another melt down would we? All of a sudden a firm hand is on my shoulder, whipping me around.

Lowering his voice he says, “ There are eyes and ears everywhere, Miss Yoo. Due to our past … aqquaintance with eachother … they’re going to be watching you. Except this time, I won’t be shielding you from their cutting remarks. They aren’t happy with how things ended, and besides - my mother’s back in town,”

Shocked, I only nodded in response. And with another curt nod in response, he turns around and leaves. I fall in my swivel seat and sit there for a good 10 minutes. Geez, they simply can’t get enough of me can they? How many times have they come back to torment me? Well it’s not really the seniors - they express their annoyance in silence - the torment comes more from their daughters. I get it, Kousuke turned you down for me, big deal! Go be salty somewhere else! Ughh, I swear I can’t handle this - not today. A ping brings me back to reality - an encouraging text from Papa! That’s right I’m doing this for him - for us. With that in mind, I go back to work as usual.

….

The coin clinked loudly as I pressed another one in - gotta get my chocolate bars! It was my turn today to get the office cluster’s daily snacks, but that meant I got first pick! Munching on my Chuckles bar I almost didn’t notice them approach me. Almost though, because how can you forget what a literal snake sounds like?

I whipped my head around and dodged a balled up piece of paper that nearly hit me. Her manicured hands were still outstretched as she allowed her glossed lips to scowl. Here we go again.

“ Oops, I simply assumed that you were assigned to garbage duty! My bad - the way you dress confused me that’s all,” she taunted.

Why that little bi***

I plastered on my fakest smile as I said, “ Hey there Bianca! Long time no see hm? The last time we were aqquainted with eachother was at the Winter Formal right? We didn’t get to chat for long though, you did run of there in tears when Kousuke turned you down again for the millionth time,” I bit back.

Bianca immediately flustered at the unpleasant memory before adjusting her already tight crop top. She then said, “ W-well I’ll have you know that it was the wasabi that made me burst in tears! Not Kousuke Hirahara! I would never give him that luxury! And besides who are you to talk? Didn’t Kousuke finally come to his senses and dump the street rat that you are?!”

“ For the last possible time - I dumped him! He did not dump me! How long is it going to take to wrap your little brain around that thought?”

She simply rolled her eyes before glancing at her at phone. She then remarked, “ Oh right I forgot, you dumped him for your little side piece. Kousuke’s little brother right? I mean I understand why - my father says he’s practically unstoppable in the office. So I imagine he’s a beast under the sheets too then,” She smirked at my reddening face.

My mouth stood agape - not for the reasons she thought though. Bianca’s crossed one too many lines - first she insinuates that I’m a slut AND brings Yeong-gi into this? Oh HELL NO! I’ve had enough of her games.

I was on the verge of throwing my heavy bag of assorted snacks at the COO ’s daughter.

Fu*k.

I whipped around to allow myself a moment to breathe. After one hell of a deep inhale I turned around and flashed her a wicked fake smile. Inching closer until I could practically smell her Burberry perfume I said, “ What the hell are you doing calling yourself a woman? First you say I’m a slut and then you bring in my perfectly innocent friend?!” I placed my hand on her shoulder at this and began squeezing.

“ Is it so hard for you to understand that I simply wanted to leave that relationship for PERSONAL reasons NOT because I was hooking up with his god damn brother??! The next time you come near my face and say this again - I can’t guarantee anything. Because I’m about to fricking blow.” I smile through gritted teeth as I pat her shoulder and walk away. She immediately began to fumble with her belongings before she regained her posture.

“ O-oh yeah?! Well everyone knows about you and that Yeong-gi guy’s kiss anyway!! Did you really think we wouldn’t notice a gold digging HOE like you scoping around here?! All the fancy dresses Kousuke bought for you would never erase that!”

I pause. How did she -

Turning around I whispered yelled, “ Who knows?!”

She only smirked at me as she said, “ Me and a few select others,”

“ I - i … that was an accident! We were both drunk okay?? It didn’t mean a thing,”

“ Well I think this photo begs to differ,” she sauntered over as she pressed her phone to my face. That fateful night was a complete blur to me except for one moment. It was a simple and sweet kiss - just one.

Yet this picture showed anything but that. Instead of my hands gently curled on his chest before I sluggishly pushed him away - it showed them violently tangled up in his orange hair yanking him closer. Instead of his hands gently lifting my chin up for the fateful kiss - they were on my butt holding me up and closer against him. Even in picture form I could tell that our mouths were ravenous, begging - pleading - to be let more inside. My outstretched neck already showed various bruises and bite marks while his were just beginning to show. Oh - my - god.

I instinctively fell back a little before catching myself. The night flashed before my eyes and I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to create Bianca in place of Meg's obsession because our girl Meg has grown so much since her introduction! Meg's finally seeing the error in her ways and is starting to show some growth!! So, of course, I'm not going to have her revert! Bianca's much more immature and spoiled so she doesn't see what's wrong in chasing a man only for his status! Also the age difference 0-0, but we'll see why she does this! (I swear I'll do my best not to make her 2 dimensional;-;)


	6. Orange Juice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (A bit rushed, I didn't want to keep you all waiting any longer!) We see where Shin-ae pinpoints the start of this mess, all those years ago. Stepping into the hazy atmosphere of the local bar with the sports channel on blast, orange juice, and chicken wings wafting through the air, we see where it all started.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off, thank you for being so patient! These past few months have been hectic for me, but I finally found the time to write again! This draft was sitting in my docs for quite a while, so expect a part 2 soon! The night isn't finished yet!
> 
> P.S. For the story's sake, the gang are quite the drinkers! However, canonically Nol & Shin-ae prefer to not drink so I'm sorry if I caused any confusion 😂.

Sports Night was a sacred event.

Back when we first started out at Uni we set aside time once a week to scream and holler at the TV with sodas in hand. We would all meet at Dieter’s place covered in green and blue paint with buckets of chicken. Ah - the good times. But time passed - classes got harder, Soushi started dating Rika, and I was dating Dieter. Yeong-gi was still with Alyssa even back then - but their relationship didn’t have any impact on the gang. Sometimes it seemed as if she was non-existent.

We spent more time with him than she knew - or honestly even cared. However, to the outside world - they were a power couple. Alyssa dominated the charts and headlines while Yeong-gi slowly rose in the ranks of Hirahara Corp. His talent and charisma were undeniable - his presence was felt the moment he stepped into an office. Kousuke in a silent panic would rant to me every day until I managed to calm him down. Kousuke in his own way helped me too - with his help I got through my breakup with constantly traveling Dieter. We left on good terms - we just didn’t want to hold each other back.

Once Dieter left for good - so did some of our habits. The gang was still together but by then the dynamics had seriously changed - the Board was finally recognizing Yeong-gi’s talent despite Yui’s protests. Soushi was reaching new heights with Rika and was dedicating more time to her. My relationship with Kousuke was going steady and I was finally getting a hang of my studies. We had our own lives - who could blame us! But there was one thing we never missed out on - and that was the National playoffs.

…

“ WOOO!! SCORE!” I cheered as I jumped out of my seat. I looked over to my right and of course, the doofus was victory dancing. That little -

“ Stop it! We haven’t won yet! Do you WANT to be the boasting type?!” I said as I smacked his arm.

“ OWW! Let me have this moment at least!” Yeong-gi whined as he faked puppy eyes. I then heard a cup loudly slam against the bar table - the clinking of ice cubes ringed in my ears as an overly exaggerated sigh followed suit. Oh my freaking -

“ TSK TSK TSK - Shin-ae! Have you no faith in Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors FC? Do you even deserve to wear our sacred colors?” Soushi gasped with feigned disgust.

“ I - I, of course, I have faith! Why else would I dress up only in green and navy blue?! You guys know my wardrobe isn’t exactly huge,” I huffed while turning away.

“ Well then why would you attack me??” Yeong-gi fake sobbed from under his arm. He had tilted his head back in an overly dramatic gesture that was screaming Oh woe is me! The goofball even had his fingers pointing ever so slightly.

“ Because -,” I paused to swig from my cup - we ARE at bar after all. “ It’ ll make it all the more fun when we DO,” I laughed maliciously as I rubbed my hands against each other.

“ OH HECK YEAH!” Yeong-gi yelled as he jumped up from his pose, pumping his fists.

“ THERE’S THE SHIN-AE WE KNOW!” Soushi laughed - throwing his arms around me.

And Jeonbuk loses their lead! Will they be able to catch up?!

Immediately we all turned around in shock before erupting, “ OH COME ON! THAT’S OBVIOUSLY A FOUL!”

“ HAVE THEY NO SHAME?!”

“ THIS IS AN OUTRAGE!!”

…

Halfway into the game, three platters of chicken wings, and an ear-shattering roar later - Soushi’s phone pinged. I know I shouldn’t look but - oh screw it! He’s obviously too glued to the screen.

“ Hey Soushi - Rika texted!” I said as I walked towards the two idiots that were my ride. I had gone to the restroom to splash some water on my face and freshen up. The place didn’t exactly smell like a field of daisies. And Soushi had been chugging orange juice by the gallon so THAT wasn’t a good mix.

“ Oh shoot - that’s my cue! I’ll call her just to be sure - but I mean she DID just move into that super haunted apar -”

“ Just call her!” I shouted as I pushed him towards the corner, almost tipping over just the slightest. Maybe I should cut back on the sipping. As I catch myself I lock eyes on Yeong-gi’s messy hair. Looks like it’s just you and me Sasquatch.

“ So did we finally catch up?” I asked as I slid into the seat next to Yeong-gi. The air was abuzz with excitement as other loyal fans sat on the edge of their seats. Yeong-gi was no exception - his cup held tightly between his hands as he reluctantly tore his eyes away from the screen. I chuckled at this - rolling my eyes slightly.

“ Even better! We’re actually in the lead!” he said excitedly.

“ What! No way! I only left for a second!”

“ Well I assume with those smol legs it took more than ‘just a second’,” Yeong-gi teased.

“ Maybe I should break your legs then so we could become equals,” I said as I squinted at him, pointing my chicken wing in his direction.

“ I’d like to see you try,” he jabbed back - with a playful grin in his eyes. He closed in on me - with his glass in between us. I jabbed at his shoulder, momentarily swinging him back - as I took the chance to swing my legs around and stand up.

“ Maybe you should’ve been a bit more careful with your word choi -”

“ Woah there now! Let’s not get too excited while you’re tipsy, okay Shin?” Soushi broke in as he lifted me up by my armpits.

“ I told you not to call me that you - you talking fish dish!” I whipped as my arms flew everywhere.

“ Talking fish - PFFFFT” Yeong-gi sputtered before erupting in laughter.

“ I - SOUSHI HAS NO CORRELATION WITH THE JAPANESE DISH SUSHI!” Soushi exclaimed as his face turned red. He held me out from his chest as far as he could before gingerly placing me on my seat.

“ Anyway I’d love to stay and chat but alas Rika needs some help. Her new apartment’s way more haunted than usual!” Soushi exclaimed before comically turning around and heading for the door.

“ Get an Uber to go home - I’m not bailing ANYONE out tonight!” Soushi laughed.

“ YOU’RE EXAGERRATING AND YOU KNOW IT!” I exclaimed throwing a nearby hat at the doorframe. The hat flopped onto the ground - missing Soushi entirely, darn!

“ He’s right though Shin-ae, you DO lose control after a few sips,” Yeong-gi said with concern as he covered my drink with his hand. He began to slide it away.

“ I haven’t even finished the cup!”

“ Alright …”

“ Tsk, I’ll take smaller sips then,”

“ Better!” Yeong-gi quipped as he gave back my cup.

“ You feel like quite the saint don’t you?”

Yeong-gi almost choked on the orange juice Soushi left behind.

“ Pffft, a saint?” Yeong-gi laughed with hints of disbelief.

“ Don’t play dumb with me, oh pure sir,”

“ Why, I have no clue in the world as to what you mean!”

“ Don’t make me spell it out for you! You always know what to do, it’s like being good is in your nature,”

His face distorted a bit at this comment. The confusion was spelled out on his face before he quickly plastered it with a strained smile. Abruptly he stood up from his seat and began to walk to the counter, as he placed his hand on my shoulder.

“Hahaha, thanks Shin-ae! I’m going to order some more wings before it gets too late,”

“Ah, alrig -,” I froze midsentence as I noticed the dark almost pained expression on his face. Quickly he turned around and had his bubbly expression back on as he peace signed his way out of the area. All I could do was stare after him.


	7. Announcement

Hello everyone, I’d like to say thank you to those who gave this a read - it means the world to me! Fun fact - this was my first fanfiction ever. And what a ride it’s been :D. My writing has improved 10-fold since starting this, and I cannot thank you enough! However as I’ve gained experience, I’ve realized the number of things I’ve done wrong. There was no clear plan in writing this, I came up and discarded storylines as I went. It’s become increasingly difficult for me to continue a story with problems deeply rooted in its foundation. That’s why I’ve decided to prematurely end “ Just Trying to Make Some Bank”, and write it as originally intended - a cute moment between Shin-ae and Nol. I’ll see you around!

ThePandaLover

**Author's Note:**

> Don't worry this isn't the end xD! I will post more in a few days and continue the series for a few more chapters! We'll see some more of our favorite characters soon enough!


End file.
